Last weekend was Eugene's annual Sasquatch Brewfest - and I'm pleased to report it was a big step up from last year's in several ways.
The location's changed again - this year, it was held in Hop Valley's parking lot. Initially I was worried that it would be too small and crowded for the available space, but thankfully this turned out not to be the case. There were over 40 breweries and ciderhouses represented, with 60-70 available libations to sample.
Logistically, I thought everything was handled far better this year. Hop Valley's a much more centrally-located venue than Ninkasi, and having all the breweries set up alphabetically along one wall made navigation a breeze. Too, ticketing and check-in were much smoother and quicker, water was plentiful and spread out, and the live music stage was set up in the far corner, past all the beer and food - meaning those who wanted to dance or revel weren't in the way of everyone else, which I really appreciated.
It was one of those brutally hot Eugene summer days - the mercury peaked over 90, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Thankfully, one of the best features of the fest made up for this - there was a mist test to help keep everyone cool. Other covered seating was hard to find, however, and the grass pollen was almost as bad as last year's. I confess I don't really understand the appeal of having an outdoor, shade-scarce event in the middle of summer - why not in the fall or late spring when the weather's a little cooler?
The food selection was adequate - Hot Mama's, Bates, and Red 5 were all in attendance, and of course Hop Valley's kitchen was right inside.
All of that's window dressing, though. To me, beer festivals live or die by the quality and variety of their beer offerings. And this year's Sasquatch did a pretty good job in that regard. Plenty of the beers on tap were seasonal, rare, or one-off - always a pleasure for a novelty-drinker like myself.
To my great surprise, the highlight of the fest was an offering by barely-open Mancave, the newest hometown brewery. They had what they called a farmhouse ale - a blend of ingredients used to make pilsner and witbier fermented at saison temperatures. It's one of those combinations that shouldn't work, but somehow did - it had the color and character of a hefeweizen, the minerally bite of a good pilsner, and the soft/rough dichotomy of saison yeast to smooth everything over.
I also rather liked Sunriver Brewing's Fighting Falcon - a double IPA almost oversaturated with citrus hop flavor (and alcohol, at 8.6%) - and Plough Monday's Summer IPA, which had a lovely citrus/pine hop character.
The most offbeat thing I tried was definitely from 2 Towns - their Hop and Stalk, an imperial hopped apple cider. I wasn't expecting to like it at all, but the citrus tinge from the Citra hops balanced out the generally too-sweet/boozy nature of imperial ciders.
Overall, I was pretty pleased with Sasquatch this year. I just wish they'd hold it in cooler weather or move it back indoors.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Friday, May 1, 2015
The End of Craft Cooperation?
As promised, I'd like to delve a bit deeper into Dave Infante's excellent article on Thrillist and discuss its implications, should his speculation end up coming to pass.
There's little doubt we're in the midst of some sort of beer golden age - the number of breweries in the US has more than doubled in the past ten years, sales of craft have been growing by double digits every year during that time, and breweries are still very cooperative and chummy.
This is a very unusual state of affairs. It's not often you'll see an industry where a a lot of the major players see themselves as comrades and not opponents.
Why is this, and what might cause it to change?
I think that a large part of the reason for this interesting sense of brotherhood is that small brewers actually don't view each other as competitors. Instead, they see themselves as opponents of Big Beer - of the light-lager heavyweights behind Budweiser, Miller, and Coors. And much of craft beer's growth over the past 15 years is attributable to craft siphoning off a bit of Big Beer's market share at a time.
Another reason is that many of these new breweries are small pubs that don't intend to distribute beer much outside their chosen city - but these are the exception. Small pubs generally don't make a ton of money, and most business owners would seek to grow - especially in such a fertile and skyrocketing market.
The center can't hold, here. As Infante opines, there's just too much beer being made these days - too many varieties competing for a finite number of tap handles and supermarket cooler racks. And Big Beer's share of the market is flattening - consumers are buying less beer on average, and more spirits.
So now craft brewers are competing for a bigger share of a smaller pie - and many of them are doing it through endless iteration and novelty. Unthinkable as it might have sounded 15 years ago, there are now plenty of breweries that don't have a standard lineup or even a flagship beer.
And people like me aren't helping, here. Though there're a few breweries I love and support when I can, beyond that I'm brewery agnostic. If I'm at a bar and want an IPA, I'll generally take whatever IPA's on. And unless I'm at a beer bar, it's likely I won't have much of a choice.
I'm also one of the people helping to drive the novelty trend - most of the time, I tend to seek out new beer when it's possible (and when I believe the available new stuff is going to be reasonably high quality). Sure, I'll buy a case of Total Domination for home drinking if it's cheap, but I'd much rather pick a mixed six-pack at the Bier Stein or 16 Tons.
I suspect that a great deal of craft drinkers are like me - we're the ones pushing brewers to constantly make new beers, because our libation-attention-span is very short. There's a big problem looming, though. It's simply not a good long-term business practice to keep rotating new beers - brewers will lose out on people who find a beer they like and stick with it.
So I think we'll start to see breweries become more selfish and sociopathic over the next several years - that is to say, more like the traditional corporations we love to hate. I think that increasing competition for the same slice of drinkers will drive breweries away from each other sooner rather than later. It's a sad thing, to be sure, but there's a possibility some vestige of the current fraternity will remain.
There's little doubt we're in the midst of some sort of beer golden age - the number of breweries in the US has more than doubled in the past ten years, sales of craft have been growing by double digits every year during that time, and breweries are still very cooperative and chummy.
This is a very unusual state of affairs. It's not often you'll see an industry where a a lot of the major players see themselves as comrades and not opponents.
Why is this, and what might cause it to change?
I think that a large part of the reason for this interesting sense of brotherhood is that small brewers actually don't view each other as competitors. Instead, they see themselves as opponents of Big Beer - of the light-lager heavyweights behind Budweiser, Miller, and Coors. And much of craft beer's growth over the past 15 years is attributable to craft siphoning off a bit of Big Beer's market share at a time.
Another reason is that many of these new breweries are small pubs that don't intend to distribute beer much outside their chosen city - but these are the exception. Small pubs generally don't make a ton of money, and most business owners would seek to grow - especially in such a fertile and skyrocketing market.
The center can't hold, here. As Infante opines, there's just too much beer being made these days - too many varieties competing for a finite number of tap handles and supermarket cooler racks. And Big Beer's share of the market is flattening - consumers are buying less beer on average, and more spirits.
So now craft brewers are competing for a bigger share of a smaller pie - and many of them are doing it through endless iteration and novelty. Unthinkable as it might have sounded 15 years ago, there are now plenty of breweries that don't have a standard lineup or even a flagship beer.
And people like me aren't helping, here. Though there're a few breweries I love and support when I can, beyond that I'm brewery agnostic. If I'm at a bar and want an IPA, I'll generally take whatever IPA's on. And unless I'm at a beer bar, it's likely I won't have much of a choice.
I'm also one of the people helping to drive the novelty trend - most of the time, I tend to seek out new beer when it's possible (and when I believe the available new stuff is going to be reasonably high quality). Sure, I'll buy a case of Total Domination for home drinking if it's cheap, but I'd much rather pick a mixed six-pack at the Bier Stein or 16 Tons.
I suspect that a great deal of craft drinkers are like me - we're the ones pushing brewers to constantly make new beers, because our libation-attention-span is very short. There's a big problem looming, though. It's simply not a good long-term business practice to keep rotating new beers - brewers will lose out on people who find a beer they like and stick with it.
So I think we'll start to see breweries become more selfish and sociopathic over the next several years - that is to say, more like the traditional corporations we love to hate. I think that increasing competition for the same slice of drinkers will drive breweries away from each other sooner rather than later. It's a sad thing, to be sure, but there's a possibility some vestige of the current fraternity will remain.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Ninkasi's Ground Control and Gimmicky Beer
Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to try Ninkasi's new Ground Control stout. Yes, this is the beer made with the yeast Ninkasi shot into space, recovered, and propagated. The rather overdesigned website is here.
The finished beer's a boozy imperial stout in the vein of the excellent Imperiale, made with cacao, hazelnuts, and star anise. And perhaps in spite of all these exotic adjuncts, I rather liked it.
Ground Control's got a rich, thick mouthfeel and a strong helping of roasted malt with some alcohol heat. The overall flavor bounces from roast to chocolate to nutty to spicy, sometimes all in one sip. And make no mistake, at 10% ABV and 80 IBUs, this is definitely a beer to respect and take slowly.
I'm pleased the beer's great. What worries me is the gimmick. Space beer, right? Who can resist that?
I've been thinking on all this after reading this excellent piece on Thrillist about how craft brewing is likely about to become far more competitive. I'll have more far-reaching commentary on the article later on this week, but for now, consider the topic of beer differentiation.
In Eugene alone, there's now too many beers for one person to reasonably keep abreast of - probably over 100 locally brewed beers available on tap, with several new releases each week. Now, Eugene's a fairly robust market for its size - only Bend has more breweries per capita in Oregon. But with the increasing competition for local tap handles and beer drinkers' discretionary spending, we're starting to see breweries do weirder and weirder things in a bid to grab attention.
Ninkasi's on the forefront here, obviously. Space beer! But this is a dark kind of path - the kind of gimmick that can quickly steal the focus from the beer itself. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - the stories breweries craft to complement their beer are as important to enjoying them as any slate of ingredients.
It's instructive to think about, though. Without the spacefaring yeast, what would Ground Control be? Just another (admittedly well-made) imperial stout brewed with some mildly adventurous adjunct ingredients. Even in Eugene, there's already plenty of similar beers widely available.
The finished beer's a boozy imperial stout in the vein of the excellent Imperiale, made with cacao, hazelnuts, and star anise. And perhaps in spite of all these exotic adjuncts, I rather liked it.
Ground Control's got a rich, thick mouthfeel and a strong helping of roasted malt with some alcohol heat. The overall flavor bounces from roast to chocolate to nutty to spicy, sometimes all in one sip. And make no mistake, at 10% ABV and 80 IBUs, this is definitely a beer to respect and take slowly.
I'm pleased the beer's great. What worries me is the gimmick. Space beer, right? Who can resist that?
I've been thinking on all this after reading this excellent piece on Thrillist about how craft brewing is likely about to become far more competitive. I'll have more far-reaching commentary on the article later on this week, but for now, consider the topic of beer differentiation.
In Eugene alone, there's now too many beers for one person to reasonably keep abreast of - probably over 100 locally brewed beers available on tap, with several new releases each week. Now, Eugene's a fairly robust market for its size - only Bend has more breweries per capita in Oregon. But with the increasing competition for local tap handles and beer drinkers' discretionary spending, we're starting to see breweries do weirder and weirder things in a bid to grab attention.
Ninkasi's on the forefront here, obviously. Space beer! But this is a dark kind of path - the kind of gimmick that can quickly steal the focus from the beer itself. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - the stories breweries craft to complement their beer are as important to enjoying them as any slate of ingredients.
It's instructive to think about, though. Without the spacefaring yeast, what would Ground Control be? Just another (admittedly well-made) imperial stout brewed with some mildly adventurous adjunct ingredients. Even in Eugene, there's already plenty of similar beers widely available.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Breweries of Portland: Ex Novo
Last week, I had some business to take care of in Portland, and I happily took the opportunity to visit a couple of breweries I hadn't had the chance to see yet.
I was heading downtown to Fat Head's (which I'll be writing about later this week) when I happened to pass Ex Novo and decided to stop in.
At first glance, it's a very attractively laid out facility - looks to be a former warehouse, with the bar and tables up front and the brewing setup down the middle aisle. There's a small kitchen serving what looked to be rather good upscale pub grub, though definitely on the lighter and pricier side.
Ex Novo's gimmick is that they're a non-profit brewery - they donate all of their net profits to a selection of local charities. A nice idea - drinking beer as a way to help people in need. And the beer prices are pretty reasonable, especially for Portland:
From the list, it's clear that Ex Novo's current focus is on lighter, more sessionable styles - both in terms of alcohol content and overall bitterness.
Here's what I thought of the beer:
How the Helles Are Ya'. Terribly punny name. The beechwood character of the malt really comes through - in fact, I thought this was too smoky for the style.
Saison Lillis. I didn't get the melony/bubblegum flavors mentioned in the notes - for me, this was a very estery, lemony saison with some funky meandering going on.
Eliot IPA. From the hop bill, I thought I'd love this. I was disappointed - it's vegetative and hollow, but there's a nice lingering bitterness the other beers lacked (mostly due to style).
Jacked-up Farmhouse. Easily my favorite of the beers I tried, this saison had a mild tartness with that interesting jackfruit flavor. Just enough alcohol heft, too.
I really like the concept of Ex Novo - the non-profit angle is interesting, and I hope it succeeds. However, the beer I had was pretty average and unmemorable. I know it's early days yet - the brewery just launched last year - and I think the beer'll improve with time.
I was heading downtown to Fat Head's (which I'll be writing about later this week) when I happened to pass Ex Novo and decided to stop in.
At first glance, it's a very attractively laid out facility - looks to be a former warehouse, with the bar and tables up front and the brewing setup down the middle aisle. There's a small kitchen serving what looked to be rather good upscale pub grub, though definitely on the lighter and pricier side.
Ex Novo's gimmick is that they're a non-profit brewery - they donate all of their net profits to a selection of local charities. A nice idea - drinking beer as a way to help people in need. And the beer prices are pretty reasonable, especially for Portland:
 |
| Ex Novo's taplist during my visit. |
From the list, it's clear that Ex Novo's current focus is on lighter, more sessionable styles - both in terms of alcohol content and overall bitterness.
Here's what I thought of the beer:
How the Helles Are Ya'. Terribly punny name. The beechwood character of the malt really comes through - in fact, I thought this was too smoky for the style.
Saison Lillis. I didn't get the melony/bubblegum flavors mentioned in the notes - for me, this was a very estery, lemony saison with some funky meandering going on.
Eliot IPA. From the hop bill, I thought I'd love this. I was disappointed - it's vegetative and hollow, but there's a nice lingering bitterness the other beers lacked (mostly due to style).
Jacked-up Farmhouse. Easily my favorite of the beers I tried, this saison had a mild tartness with that interesting jackfruit flavor. Just enough alcohol heft, too.
I really like the concept of Ex Novo - the non-profit angle is interesting, and I hope it succeeds. However, the beer I had was pretty average and unmemorable. I know it's early days yet - the brewery just launched last year - and I think the beer'll improve with time.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Hellshire Day 2015
March 14 was Oakshire's annual release of Hellshire, its signature barrel-aged beer that's a bit different every year. It also marked the 2nd Hellshire Day, a local gathering that's quickly turning into one of the best local beer festivals in town.
Hellshire Day most obviously compares to Fort George's excellent Festival of Dark Arts, which I wrote about in more detail here. Its focus is also primarily on strong dark beers - but Hellshire's conceit is that all the beers it's serving are barrel-aged in some capacity.
The weather wasn't great - most of the available beer was being served from a tent behind Oakshire's public house, and it was raining pretty much the entire afternoon - but spirits were unquestionably high, as there were many excellent beers to choose from.
Those seeking great food didn't have to go far, either. Oregon Wood Fired Pizza was there slinging pies alongside Kun Fusion's excellent blends of Asian, Latin, and Mediterranean cooking.
Thanks to attending with a bunch of friends who were happy to pass around their samples for the benefit of everyone, I was able to try a small amount of a large number of the festival's beers.
Some highlights:
Logsdon Oak Aged Seizoen Bretta. This saison is so refreshing, lively, and tasty. The beer poured hazy due to keg issues, but the flavor was thankfully unaffected. And the oak aging adds another welcome layer of wooden complexity. This was made all the more special by its lightness and the fact that it wasn't a stout.
New Holland Dragon's Milk Reserve. Speaking of, this was one of my favorite stouts at the fest. It's made with the sort of coffee I like - sweet and roasty, but still balanced enough to be enjoyed by a non-coffee-drinker like me.
Hair of the Dog Bourbon Matt. At first taste, this imperial stout is far too hot and alcohol-spicy. Then it mellows out into an incredibly decadent caramel whiskey finish that I had to sample several times to be sure I wasn't imagining things. Probably the best use of a bourbon barrel among all the fest's beers - and that's saying something.
Haymarket Clare's Thirsty Ale. Whiskey and raspberries in a stout? It sounds like madness. But amazingly enough, this beer works really well. The acidity of the raspberries balances delicately against the woody caramel of the whiskey. I'd have been happy to drink this beer exclusively.
Cigar City Hunahpu's Imperial Stout. This is the beer everyone was hoping to try. There was a constant line to get a sample from the moment it was tapped until the keg blew. And why not? Cigar City's known for their excellent barrel-aged beers. This one wasn't to my taste, though. It's undeniably complex - cinnamon, whiskey, roast, malt sweetness all vie for attention. But to me, the cinnamon and spice dominated the beer's profile, making it more interesting than good, in my opinion.
I was really pleased with Hellshire Day. The Oakshire crew and other organizers did a fantastic job putting together a wide variety of beers, diverse both in origin and in style. I hope that next year's features better weather!
Hellshire Day most obviously compares to Fort George's excellent Festival of Dark Arts, which I wrote about in more detail here. Its focus is also primarily on strong dark beers - but Hellshire's conceit is that all the beers it's serving are barrel-aged in some capacity.
The weather wasn't great - most of the available beer was being served from a tent behind Oakshire's public house, and it was raining pretty much the entire afternoon - but spirits were unquestionably high, as there were many excellent beers to choose from.
Those seeking great food didn't have to go far, either. Oregon Wood Fired Pizza was there slinging pies alongside Kun Fusion's excellent blends of Asian, Latin, and Mediterranean cooking.
Thanks to attending with a bunch of friends who were happy to pass around their samples for the benefit of everyone, I was able to try a small amount of a large number of the festival's beers.
Some highlights:
Logsdon Oak Aged Seizoen Bretta. This saison is so refreshing, lively, and tasty. The beer poured hazy due to keg issues, but the flavor was thankfully unaffected. And the oak aging adds another welcome layer of wooden complexity. This was made all the more special by its lightness and the fact that it wasn't a stout.
New Holland Dragon's Milk Reserve. Speaking of, this was one of my favorite stouts at the fest. It's made with the sort of coffee I like - sweet and roasty, but still balanced enough to be enjoyed by a non-coffee-drinker like me.
Hair of the Dog Bourbon Matt. At first taste, this imperial stout is far too hot and alcohol-spicy. Then it mellows out into an incredibly decadent caramel whiskey finish that I had to sample several times to be sure I wasn't imagining things. Probably the best use of a bourbon barrel among all the fest's beers - and that's saying something.
Haymarket Clare's Thirsty Ale. Whiskey and raspberries in a stout? It sounds like madness. But amazingly enough, this beer works really well. The acidity of the raspberries balances delicately against the woody caramel of the whiskey. I'd have been happy to drink this beer exclusively.
Cigar City Hunahpu's Imperial Stout. This is the beer everyone was hoping to try. There was a constant line to get a sample from the moment it was tapped until the keg blew. And why not? Cigar City's known for their excellent barrel-aged beers. This one wasn't to my taste, though. It's undeniably complex - cinnamon, whiskey, roast, malt sweetness all vie for attention. But to me, the cinnamon and spice dominated the beer's profile, making it more interesting than good, in my opinion.
I was really pleased with Hellshire Day. The Oakshire crew and other organizers did a fantastic job putting together a wide variety of beers, diverse both in origin and in style. I hope that next year's features better weather!
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Beer Bars of Portland: Bailey's Taproom
Bailey's is one of the first places I visited when I came to Portland for the first time several years ago. So I've got a bit of a soft spot for it. It was one of my formative experiences in terms of knowing good beer through the lens of a small bar with a well-curated taplist. Also, they're the first place I visited with an electronic, real-time taplist courtesy of DigitalPour.
But I've experienced a lot of beer bars and brewpubs in the last 5 years. How does Bailey's hold up?
Pretty well, as it turns out. I visited twice in the course of a week, as part of my statewide beer odyssey last month.
In many ways, Bailey's now reminds me of the Bier Stein's old location - it's too small for its location. Consequently, it's too crowded and loud, there's not enough seating, and having conversations is a challenge. This isn't really a problem Bailey's can do anything about, realistically - it just means I'd probably rather be elsewhere, most of the time.
Unlike the Bier Stein, Bailey's doesn't seem to have a cohesive approach to picking their beers. The taplist is eclectic - you might see a 2009 vintage double IPA next to a 4% mild next to a super-acidic lambic. It appears that when a keg runs out, the next keg in line is simply swapped out. Maybe I just like Bier Stein's structure a little more - having a few taps marked out for generally popular styles seems to do them well.
It didn't help that most of the beers I tried at Bailey's during my 2 visits were pretty lackluster. This isn't directly Bailey's' fault - beer quality can vary from keg to keg, even among the same beer from the same brewery. Maybe I'd get a better picture if I visited them more often.
Still, being across from Tugboat's excellent atmosphere and having access to Santeria's formidable burritos brings the whole experience to a different level, and I'll probably happily visit all 3 again next time I go to Portland.
But I've experienced a lot of beer bars and brewpubs in the last 5 years. How does Bailey's hold up?
Pretty well, as it turns out. I visited twice in the course of a week, as part of my statewide beer odyssey last month.
In many ways, Bailey's now reminds me of the Bier Stein's old location - it's too small for its location. Consequently, it's too crowded and loud, there's not enough seating, and having conversations is a challenge. This isn't really a problem Bailey's can do anything about, realistically - it just means I'd probably rather be elsewhere, most of the time.
Unlike the Bier Stein, Bailey's doesn't seem to have a cohesive approach to picking their beers. The taplist is eclectic - you might see a 2009 vintage double IPA next to a 4% mild next to a super-acidic lambic. It appears that when a keg runs out, the next keg in line is simply swapped out. Maybe I just like Bier Stein's structure a little more - having a few taps marked out for generally popular styles seems to do them well.
It didn't help that most of the beers I tried at Bailey's during my 2 visits were pretty lackluster. This isn't directly Bailey's' fault - beer quality can vary from keg to keg, even among the same beer from the same brewery. Maybe I'd get a better picture if I visited them more often.
Still, being across from Tugboat's excellent atmosphere and having access to Santeria's formidable burritos brings the whole experience to a different level, and I'll probably happily visit all 3 again next time I go to Portland.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Breweries of Portland: Tugboat
Tugboat's one of my favorite places in Portland, but it has nothing to do with the beer.
Simply put, Tugboat has one of the best senses of atmosphere of any bar I've visited in Portland. And it happens to be located right across the street from Bailey's Taproom, an excellent beer bar. Too, there's Santeria next door, which makes killer burritos.
So the fact that Tugboat's beer is totally forgettable isn't actually a mark against it. Here's what I had when I visited a couple of weeks ago, just for future reference:
Chernobyl Porter. At 13%+ ABV, this is a ridiculously strong porter, and it pulls no punches - booze is front and center for the entire experience, with some sweet malt and astringency rounding out the flavor.
Flower Power IPA. I wouldn't know what kind of beer this was if I was tasting it blind. It's really astringent and not a pleasant experience.
Amber Lamps Pale. Quite a bit milder in every respect to the other beers, this is nevertheless not a great ale by any means. It's got a lesser case of the IPA's astringency and not much other flavor.
Tugboat is a fantastic place to just hang out - there are books spilling off of wall-mounted shelves, weird nature documentaries on the TV, and a front door that has to be closed manually - so you can easily tell the first-timers from the regulars. Everything about the place oozes character and grime. I feel like Bukowski would've been happy here - it's warm, lived-in, and inviting.
I can't, in good conscience, recommend visiting Tugboat with the express purpose of trying its beer. It is, however, a great place to slow down, do some excellent people-watching, and enjoy living moment-to-moment. I'm struggling to think of any other brewpub I've visited that creates this feeling - its closest kin is probably Brewers Union in Oakridge. If you like one, you'll probably like the other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)